Homeowner Valerie Gard Mitchell took to the Facebook group Composting, Just Composting to ask about compost tumblers.
"What is the biggest issue with tumblers? I live in a HOA neighborhood so I can not make a compost pile in my yard," she wrote.
Some people had suggestions, but many denounced HOAs and their limitations. In fact, research published in Ecology and Society "suggested that homeowner associations can use their unchecked power to wipe out — or restore — biodiversity in suburban settings," according to Green Builder Media.
Green Builder Media reported that HOAs may obstruct climate-friendly choices by disallowing native grasses or requiring lawns to be maintained a specific way — both of which discourage the presence of pollinators such as bees and butterflies. Also, HOAs may only allow certain types of trees to be planted and certain types of pesticides to be used, and of course, as in Mitchell's case, they may forbid composting.
"Homeowner associations, with their governance, regulatory structure, relatively large scope of influence, and focus on landscaping practices, present a viable venue for active conservation biologists to ensure that urban ecosystems are not devoid of native diversity," the study states.
Sometimes, HOAs even flout the law, as one did when it prevented an Illinois family from planting vegetables in raised beds.
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There are ways for homeowners to defend their choices by changing HOA bylaws, and this can work to protect people's rights to contribute to a better climate. In the case of composting, this can mean reducing how much food ends up in landfills and creating a natural and free fertilizer for gardens.
HOAs got a lot of heat from commenters on the post.
"The trouble is that some HOAs get out of control and make things unreasonable," one person stated.
"That's outrageous," someone else wrote.
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Another just said: "HOA? Consider moving."
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Should homeowners associations be able to determine what you grow in your garden?
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